It's a New Year
by samsmom
Summary: What will happen after the New Year's Eve kiss Sara gave Catherine?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the start of a sequel to "New Year's Eve." I know it's a short one...this part's been lurking in my brain for ages, but I'm still having a hard time with the next part. Keep checking back, the muses have started to softly chatter again. I'm not sure the end of this scene flows as nicely as I want it to, but...**

**Please R&R!**

Jan. 1

The early morning sunlight coming through the window tells me it must be close to eight o'clock. I throw my arm over my eyes and groan. I'd like nothing more right now than to just go back to sleep. The phone on the nightstand is ringing, though: Grissom must have other plans. I blindly reach over and grab the phone, answering it without bothering to check the caller ID. "Willows," my voice is hoarse from sleep and I clear my throat as I sit up and emerge from my cocoon of pillows and blankets.

"I woke you up," it's less a statement of surprise or observation as it is a statement of realization.

"You're not Grissom," it's all I can think of as my brain struggles toward full consciousness. "No one else ever wakes me up."

"I'm sorry, I'll call back later," Sara says, clearly at a loss for what else to say.

"Sara, it's okay. Is something wrong? Do you need something? Have we been called in? What's going on?" Phone calls from Sara are so few and far between, I know something has to be going on or she would have simply texted me.

"No…nothing's wrong. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" her voice trails off and she sounds much more concerned than she needs to be over waking me up.

"Really, Sara it's okay. You already apologized. It's fine – no harm, foul."

"Catherine," Sara starts over. "I called to apologize for last night. I'm sorry I kissed you; it shouldn't have happened. I just…" she pauses, choosing her words. With a sigh, she continues, "I was trying to avoid an overly flirtatious girl. I turned around and you were there, so I kissed you. I didn't mean anything by it, really." Her words are beginning to get faster, as if she's getting nervous. "I hope you aren't mad at me or anything. I mean, I wasn't really hitting on you. I guess…you were there, and all I could think about was not kissing Maggie. I didn't mean to kiss you like that. I just meant to avoid Maggie." She sounds defeated after this explanation. "God I sound pathetic."

I'm sitting in shocked silence until Sara brings me back to reality. "Catherine?" her voice has turned tentative. "Please say something."

"It's fine, Sara." It's all I can say. My voice is flat and dull – not angry, but not lifeless. "Forget about it. I'll see you at work tonight." I hang up the phone, pull my knees to my chest and rest my forehead on them.

It's not fine. It's anything but fine. Eight hours ago, Sara Sidle kissed me. My head tells me that it was simply a New Year's kiss and that Sara didn't mean anything by it. She even said as much. But my heart won't accept that it was nothing. My heart knows that I put eight years of pent-up emotion in that kiss. I didn't expect her to kiss me. I didn't expect to kiss her back. But her lips were like sweet honey and soft velvet. I couldn't help but kiss her back; my mind had nothing to do with my body's response.

The more I think about it, the more it hurts, the more horrified I become. What if Sara figured out how I feel from that kiss? Did she call to apologize and "explain" things so that I would know that she doesn't feel as I do? Twelve hours ago, the idea of never kissing Sara was completely normal. But now, the idea of never again kissing her hurts more than I knew it could. Twelve hours ago, I _knew_ nothing could happen between Sara and I. Now, the thought of it is physically painful.

Last night, I saw a side of Sara I've never seen before: a side that made me fall even more in love with her. It was a softer side, a more vulnerable side. It was almost as if outside the CSI walls, she feels like she doesn't have to be invincible. She told me about how her cat, AFIS, can be practically invisible for a few days and turn around and nearly glue himself to Sara. I smile at that thought. Only Sara would name her cat AFIS. She even talked a little bit about her lack of relationships and her lack thereof. Our conversation was totally relaxed and if Annie hadn't mentioned something about the length of our conversation, I would never have realized we talked for so long. Until last night, I'd overcome the longing during short interactions with Sara. I never did master that skill when we worked a case alone together. Now, after last night, I know that longing will be back full force. I know the only way I can cope with it is to avoid Sara for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A big thank you to those of you who have put in reviews! I managed to get this little tidbit plugged out today between "familial obligations." Oh, and during the car ride home, since the wife was driving. ;)**

**Please R&R - the muses apparently respond well to such things. ;)**

"So how are things going with Catherine?" Kate asks nonchalantly as I grab beers out of the fridge.

"Things?" I have no idea what she's talking about. "What things?" I open the beers and hand one to Kate and one to Jenny as I plop down on the love seat to watch the game. "This, by the way, is a totally pointless game. It's more pointless than any other all-star game. Why did the powers that be choose to put the Pro Bowl the week before the Super Bowl? How much more entertaining would it have been to see a Brees-Manning rematch _after_ the Super Bowl, rather than see them standing on the sidelines?"

"Quit whining," Jenny rolls her eyes at me. "It's an excuse for beer and pizza, just like every other Sunday during NFL season. And stop avoiding the question."

"Hey, I actually _like_ to watch football, unlike someone I know," I stare pointedly at her. And I don't need an excuse to drink beer or eat pizza, thank you. I'm no health nut." I reach forward and grab a slice of the fully loaded pizza on the coffee table in front of me. "And I'm not avoiding the question. I just have no idea what you're talking about."

"Ugh!" Kate rejoins the conversation. "Everyone saw that New Year' kiss you gave her. You may not have stuck around afterward to answer questions, but the kiss itself answered a lot of them." Kate's smile becomes smug.

This time, I do avoid the subject. I sit and eat my pizza and watch the kickoff as I stew in my own thoughts. The truth is, I really did enjoy that kiss. I also had fun talking to Catherine about things that didn't pertain to work. I would have thought it'd be harder to do that, but everything just flowed that night. 'I wonder if that's the mom in her getting me to talk or if I actually just wanted to talk.' Either way, I'd like to do it again. Ever since New Year's, though, we've barely seen each other, let alone talk to each other. We've only worked one case together since then, and Catherine didn't seem at all pleased to work with me. She was back to her bitchy old self, in all her glory, for that case. I notice the girls keep glancing at me with curious looks so I figure I might as well enlighten them.

"Nothing's going on between Catherine and me. Unless the return of 'her royal bitchiness' counts."

"What do you mean nothing? And why is she being bitchy?"

"I mean nothing. We hardly say anything to each other, she avoids any lab I'm in, only tolerates being in the break room with me for nightly assignments; we've only had one assignment together in the last month, and she was completely pissed about it."

Kate looks at me, clearly trying to discern something. "What?" I'm feeling a little tense after revealing what seems to be childish behavior from Catherine. I hadn't even realized I'd noticed some of those things.

"What did you do?"

"What did _I_ do? What makes you think I did something? Could it maybe be on Catherine's end, not mine?"

"Honey, _you_ may not have stuck around long after midnight, but Catherine did. Everyone but you saw what that kiss did to her. She was trying so hard not to be on Cloud Nine, it was almost funny. I know you did something," Kate pauses, "Because if it was up to her, she would have pounced on you the next time she saw you."

"Bu…" I have no words, so I retreat into my own thoughts for a few seconds. "Oh shit," I mumble. "I'm an idiot."

Immediately, Jenny decides to add her two cents, "Well, we knew that much, but what did you do?"

"I called her the next morning," I glare at Jenny for so quickly agreeing with my statement of idiocy.

"So, why is that a bad thing?" She pauses before getting a somewhat disappointed look on her face. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I apologized for kissing her. I think I said something like 'I didn't mean anything by it,' or something. I didn't, really. I mean, I didn't even know Catherine was gay – or bi – or whatever. Until that night. I always just assumed that she was into guys. She used to be married, and she has Lindsey and…" My voice trails off as I realize I'm rambling. "What I mean is, I'd never even considered it a possibility. Even that night, I didn't think of it. All I know now is that I had a really good time when Catherine and I sat and talked. And I really hate that we're not talking right now; I thought after our conversation that we might be able to build a friendship."

"Have you forgotten all the rules of dating?" Kate asks, incredulously. "Rule number one: _never_ apologize for kissing a woman. _**IF**_ she has a problem with it, tell her it won't happen again. Don't ever, ever, ever tell her it was a mistake! You're nuts!"

"Yeah," I say in a resigned tone. "I just…I knew I had to see her at work, I thought I knew she hated me, so I figured I'd have to deal with the repercussions anyway. I just thought making the first move toward a truce would be helpful. Clearly I was mistaken."

"Tell ya what, Hot Stuff. Spend a week at work going out of your way to let Catherine know she matters to you – seek her out, ask her about Lindsey, ask her about something completely _not_ work related, pour her coffee at the beginning of shift – anything. Then tell me next weekend what happens."

"And what's that supposed to tell me?" I ask cynically.

"You? It won't tell you anything." Kate replies with a sly grin. "I, however, have much more sophisticated people skills and it will tell me everything."

"I'll give you three work days and if I don't like the results, I'm calling you and yelling at you."

"Fine, whatever you say. I know you won't regret it in the long run."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: My apologies this one took longer to update. Work's kept me tied up and the wife threw out her back. We're running into the busy Spring season for the band, so who knows what kind of time I'll find to plug out the next chapter, but at least I have an idea where it's going.**

**Keep the reviews coming - they keep me going and have impacted where the story goes. ;)**

_Monday, Feb. 1_

I know I won't be getting an assignment tonight, since Nick and I are still trying to wrap up the Maddux case, which we got last Wednesday. I let Grissom know I won't be in the break room for assignments and get to work reviewing some lab results. A couple minutes after I notice Grissom heading to the break room, I look up to see Sara leaning on my door frame. I've spent the better part of the last month purposely avoiding Sara, and she seems to have gone along with it. I'm surprised to see her seeking me out. "Hi," I use a questioning tone, but I get no response from her. "What's up?" Sara seems to be contemplating something.

"Hey," she responds, shaking her head slightly and holding up a coffee mug. She strides into my office and sets the steaming drink on my desk. "Slow day today. Gris is taking Greg on a B&E, but that's it. It seems I'm on paperwork duty tonight." Sara doesn't sound the least bit annoyed, which is unexpected given her dislike of paperwork. "I've been keeping caught up somehow, so I hope something comes in tonight or tomorrow. I don't have enough to keep me busy much past tonight." Sara stands for a few seconds before saying, "Have a good evening, Catherine." She turns to leave and just as she reaches the door reverses to face me. "Check your coffee before you add anything. I think I got the two blues and one white thing down." With a grin, she disappears.

I raise an eyebrow and pick up the coffee mug. If Sara's caught on to my unusual way of fixing my coffee, I wonder what else she may have picked up on and silently groan. My grunt of appreciation is verbal though, as I take my first sip of coffee, enjoying the warmth and anticipating the caffeine kick.

_Wednesday, Feb 3_

Yesterday, Sara repeated her coffee delivery. She asked about Lindsey yesterday and we had a short conversation about her teenage drama. Nick and I wrapped the Maddox case mid-shift yesterday and I've been catching up on paperwork ever since. As I settle in behind my desk, I find myself hoping to see Sara in my doorway soon. Up until Monday, I was vehemently avoiding as much contact with Sara as possible. My head and my heart tell me two different things, however. I am knocking myself on the head a couple times trying to remind myself of that fact when I hear a soft voice and my heart skips a beat.

"Ya know, I hear you lose a brain cell every time you hit yourself on the head." Just like that, there's nothing but Sara in my world. Sara, and the smell of Sara, and…ooh, coffee. I reach out to take the cup from her hand.

"Oh? And did Sally Smartpants tell you that in 2nd grade?" I grin and lift the coffee to my mouth.

"Nope, Timmy Sandgren. In 1st grade." Sara's grin is absolutely adorable. "And he was the smartest kid in school, so it must have been true, right?" She sits down opposite me and leans back, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her left ear. "How did Lindsey's math go tonight?"

"Ugh," I groan. "At this point, she dosen't care if she has a C in math…she won't accept help from me, nor will she go online to the homework help chat that the library offers. I don't want to ground her, because I know she's trying. But I _do _want to ground her because she could do better if she'd just accept a little help."

"I could give it a shot. I know we haven't always been the best of friends, but if it wouldn't bother you, I'd be willing to try. Lindsey and I usually get along pretty well." Sara's wearing a hopeful look as she waits for my answer.

"True, you do, don't you?" I briefly consider the offer. "If you don't mind, I'm willing to give it a shot. Lindsey really does like you."

Sara is smiling a rare true smile – one that really reaches her eyes. "Sure. How about tomorrow around four? I'll even order Chinese while we're working."

"Sounds like a plan." I consider my next comment. "Sara," I start timidly. When she looks at me questioningly, I continue. "You should smile more often. It suits you."

"It suits me?" Sara sounds confused. "It suits me." This time it's a statement rather than a question. "Hmm. Maybe." Shrugging her shoulders, she stands up. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to work. See you later, Catherine. Have a good evening."

"You too. Talk to you later."

_Thursday, Feb. 4_

The doorbell rings and I take a deep breath. The conversations I've had with Sara the past few days at work has really brought up the feelings I've been trying so hard to get rid of, so I know having Sara here won't help. I open the door and move aside to let Sara in. "Hey," I greet her.

"Hi," she responds. "That's a cute outfit." Sara takes in my Scooby Doo pajama suit.

"Thanks." I grin. "It was a gift from Lindsey at Christmas."

"She has good taste." Sara comes in and heads toward the kitchen. She sets a six pack of Dr. Pepper bottles on the table and hangs her jacket on a chair. "Where is Lindsey, anyway?"

"She's not home yet; should be in a few minutes though. Can I get you a drink?" I eye the Dr. Pepper. "Or a glass," I add, with a bit of irony. Sara is wearing her trademark skinny jeans and a dark gray shirt that hugs her curves in all the right places.

"Sure. Maybe some ice – the soda's not cold." As we wait for Lindsey to get home, we chat about work for a bit, before Sara switches gears. "Are you going over the Kate & Jenny's this weekend for the Superbowl party?"

"I don't know. I've never been to one of their parties before. I've really only been to Annie's house. I mostly see everyone else when we go places."

"You should go. They throw great Superbowl parties. There's always plenty of people without feeling crowded. There's plenty of room to see the game, in this case. They usually set up some game stations, too and a fair amount of people play those and just watch the commercials instead of the game."

"You sound like a commercial, yourself." I laugh a bit at the disappointed look that crosses Sara's face. "A very good commercial, mind you. I'll think about it." A notice a look of pleasure crosses Sara's face when I say that. "I haven't said anything to Mom about staying with Linds. I know she'll stay when I'm working, but I like to check with her when it's not for work."

"I thought Lindsey started staying home by herself a few years ago?" Sara looks slightly puzzled.

"She stays by herself a lot in the evenings. Maybe I'm just paranoid, or overprotective, or whatever. I just don't like her being all by herself when she sleeps and I know if I go to that party, I'm likely to be out after Lindsey goes to bed."

"Ah. Well, that makes sense. You see lots of unpleasant things in your job, so it's logical for you to be more concerned. Does it bother Lindsey? Does she think you're crazy?"

"Yes. And no." I grin at my contradictory response. It bothered her more when she first started staying home than it does. She used to whine and complain that she can put herself to bed and that she didn't need Grandma to tuck her in. I sat her down and told her that I understand her viewpoint and that I realize she doesn't need that. I also pointed out to her that I have a deservedly pessimistic view toward young girls staying home alone at night. Once Lindsey figured out that I wasn't having Mom stay with her because I thought she wasn't responsible, she accepted it."

Lindsey walks in the front door just as we're discussing what to order from Chang's. "Oooh, Chinese? We haven't had Chinese in forever! I want the General's Chicken and Crab Rangoon. Hey, Sara. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Hey, Lindsey. How's it going? How's school?" Sara turns to me and answers my earlier question, "I'll get the Sweet and Spicy Chicken with fried rice, and an egg roll." I smile at her and grab my phone to make the order. When I return to the table, Sara and Lindsey are both hunched over Lindsey's science book. I raise an eyebrow at Sara, who winks at me.

"Well, Linds, I'm more into the physics and chemistry than the biology end of science, but I think I can help you with this photosynthesis stuff. I bet you wouldn't believe what my favorite subject in high school was."

"Science, that's obvious." Lindsey says and grins.

"Wrong. Band." I nearly spit out the Dr. Pepper I'd just taken a swig of.

"Band?" Lindsey and I both ask at the same time. "What instrument did you play? And how come I didn't know that?"

"Bass clarinet. And there are lots of things you don't know about me, Catherine." Sara gives me a soft smile over Lindsey's head.

"Guess so," I can't think of anything else to say. "I'm going to go ahead and get changed for work."

When I return, Sara and Lindsey had moved on from science to math, but were still talking about Sara being in band. "I would never have pegged you as a band nerd, Sara," Lindsey was saying.

"Oh, I was. But then, I was a nerd in lots of ways. I loved band though. Playing bass clarinet was perfect for me. I could add a lot to the group without standing out. I was in a lot of clubs in high school because I was bored in classes, but I hated standing out in those groups. In band, I was usually a color instrument – I added harmonies and stuff. Most of the time, an audience couldn't pick out my part from anyone else's."

Sara and Lindsey work non-stop until the food comes around 5:45. After dinner, Lindsey picks up the plates and trash and I ask her about her homework. "How's the homework coming, Linds?"

"Done."

"Done?"

"Done. Sara rocks. Everything I didn't get, she explained differently than Mr. Wilson or Mrs. Vorhees did. Now I get it. Thanks again, Sara." Lindsey turns to Sara and then back to me. "I'm going upstairs to take a shower."

"Okay honey. Grandma will be here in a few minutes and Sara and I will be headed to work. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom. See you in the morning."

Lindsey disappears up the stairs and I turn to Sara. "You are absolutely amazing. I don't remember the last time she had her homework completely done before dinner. Usually, I'm still fighting her to start it when I'm walking out the door for work."

"Thanks, but I didn't really do anything." Sara says, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just not you. Sometimes that's all it takes."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A BIG thank you to all of you who have been reading this story, especially those of you who posted reviews. I had a lot of fun writing this one and have a vague idea for another...don't know if it will be a continuation of this one or a stand alone yet.**

**There are random details in this chapter...looking up random bits of trivia is entertaining. For those of you wondering, yes I am a band nerd (reference to chapter 3), and proud to be one. Yes, I do watch NFL football whenever possible. No, the Saints didn't play their best ball during the first half of the Super Bowl. Yes, Left Hand really is a beer (I've had that one...so is Katie's Cream Ale, and, according to the website, really does come from the Great Basin Brewing Company in Sparks, NV (I haven't had that one).**

**Once again, Sara and Catherine aren't mine. All non-CSI characters, story line, and typo-s are my full responsibility, however. If you'd like to beta anything I do in the future, let me know - I still don't have a consistent one. :)**

_Sunday, Feb. 7_

**Sara**

"So, you didn't call me this week. Did you have a good week?" Kate asks from across the living room. We're shifting furniture and stowing away the coffee table books, making more room for the Super Bowl party set to start in an hour or so.

"I didn't realize I was supposed to call you. My week was fine. Pretty slow, actually." I look at Kate, who's got a sparkle in her eyes as she smiles at me. "You sound more interested than normal."

"You told me you would call me after three work days if you didn't like the results of my assignment. You never called. So how did it turn out?"

"Oh. I kinda forgot about it."

"Sara! How are you going to get Catherine to stop ignoring you if you forget about my assignment? Despite the fact that you are oblivious, _I_ am not. I can't help you clean up your mess when you don't tell me what's going on."

"Catherine's not ignoring me. I've been at her house twice this week. She's coming to the party tonight. Why are you making this such a big deal?" I've always known Kate and Jenny want to see me in a relationship, but they've never tried to play matchmaker. This feels different somehow.

"Because it _is_ a big deal!" Jenny chimed in. "Because, after New Year's, everyone knows that Catherine is gaga over you…because you did something amazingly idiotic the next morning…because for a month, you didn't tell us that Catherine was ignoring you…because you didn't tell us she invited you over! In what way is this _not_ a big deal?"

"Catherine has gone through lots of periods where she ignored me, so it's nothing new. She invited me over after I offered to help Lindsey with her math homework. It's not like she was flirting with me or whatever it is that you think went on. I went over, helped Lindsey, ate dinner with them, and then Catherine and I left for work."

"Okay, just rewind a minute, will you?" Kate attempts to refocus the conversation. "You said you offered to help Lindsey. How did this all transpire?"

"I don't know. I took her a cup of coffee on Wednesday and she said Lindsey was having a hard time. So I offered to help her out. Apparently she wouldn't let Catherine help her at all. Turns out she just didn't want to listen to her mom. She was more than willing to listen, just not to her mom. It's nothing spectacular."

"So you _did_ listen," Kate declares, half incredulous. "Did you do anything else?"

"Anything else? You said I should ask about Lindsey – I did that. You told me to take her coffee – I did that: two blues and a white sugar included. She's so weird with her coffee." Kate and Jenny both look like they want me to go on. "That's all I did. I took her coffee at the beginning of shift and we talked a few minutes. Nothing interesting. We mostly talked about Lindsey. I managed to talk her into coming tonight, though. She was debating it before."

"Sounds great. Don't screw up this time, huh?" Kate simply says.

"I'll try?" It took a month for me to know I'd screwed up before, how on earth can I avoid it now? I'm just now figuring out, somewhere deep inside me, that I'm attracted to Catherine – attracted to more than just her looks, but to everything about her. Maybe now that I've figured that much out, I'll pay more attention to what I say and do.

We finish up with the shifting and I fill the sink with ice and beer. Just as we're finishing up with the preparations, the first guests begin to arrive. I feel myself getting more anxious at seeing Catherine at another social event. I have to remind myself that I've spent time at her house already, so this should be a cake walk. I know it won't be. I know at least Jenny and Kate, and probably Annie, will be watching us both.

I'm just returning from putting coats in the spare bedroom when Catherine walks in. I can see that she's looking for someone or something. As I come around the corner of the hallway into her line of vision, I catch her eye and she smiles. Her skin is a bit flush and she looks absolutely gorgeous in her faded jeans and black football jersey.

"Hi. I'm glad you made it. Should I guess whose side you're on?"

"Drew Brees all the way, baby!" Catherine exclaims. "I love how involved he's been in New Orleans and how he just immediately adopted it as his home town. He seems like such a down to earth kind of guy."

"True. I'm a fan of the Saints, too. You look great in that jersey, by the way." Catherine blushes a little and grins.

"Thanks. I don't usually see you in t-shirts. The relaxed look works really well for you, too."

I could swear she just winked at me, but if she did, it was a subtle one. Whether she did or not, I feel my pulse quicken as yet another reminder of my emerging feelings for Catherine. "Um…thanks. Can I take your coat for you?"

"Sure." She hands me her coat and asks "Where's Jenny and Kate? Aren't they supposed to be playing hostesses?"

"Oh, they're in the kitchen. They're serving up drinks and snacks and all that good stuff. I volunteered for coat duty. I'll go put this away. Annie's in getting ready for a no-holds-barred game of dominoes if you want to join her."

"Ha! I know Annie's competitive side. I'll avoid that one for now. I think I'll head in and watch the football game."

"Okay. I'll be in after a bit, once the flow of guests arriving slows down. See ya later."

"You better."

Hmm. What does she mean by 'I better?' I guess I better, just to figure it out.

**Catherine**

I know I'm just setting myself up to get hurt, flirting with Sara. The sudden turn of events this past week has set me a bit off center, I suppose. After doing everything I could to avoid Sara, only to have her extend on olive branch in the form of coffee, I've been feeling a little like an ass. Hearing her say the New Year's kiss didn't mean anything hurt, but it wasn't really a reason to ignore her, especially without telling her what was going on.

At the beginning of last week, I'd never have guessed Sara would be at my house on Thursday and Friday to help Lindsey. It was nice having her there, though. Lindsey was actually willing to work on her homework, and Sara and I shared some great conversation. As I find a place on the couch to watch the big game, my mind wanders to a conversation we had after Lindsey headed upstairs Friday.

"_Do you keep up with football at all?" Sara asked. I suspected she was leading toward the subject of this party, but I let it go to begin with._

"_In a general sense, yeah. I don't watch it a lot, simply because Sunday's are usually quality time days with Lindsey. Most of the time, I catch SportsCenter the next morning for the rundown."_

"_So you'll be watching the game, rather than playing them at the party." I couldn't help but smile at the implication that I would definitely be at the party._

"_Yeah, I'll be watching the game," I affirmed, without really committing to the party._

"_At the party and not here, I hope. I'd really like to see you there." Sara had a shy smile on her face when she said this._

"_Would you? And why is that?" I couldn't avoid a slightly flirtatious tone._

_Sara stammered an answer, "Because, um…because I would. It's been nice spending time with you away from work."_

_It was my turn to stutter. "I've…" I paused. "I've enjoyed it, too._

Annie's voice cuts through my daydream. "Earth to Catherine! Are you with us?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Annie. Guess I got caught up in the pre-game chatter." I can feel my face heat up.

"Uh-huh. Sure." Annie looks doubtful. "I asked if you want a beer."

"Um sure. Thanks." I give her a look that I hope says 'shut-up.' It must work, because she turns and heads to the kitchen without another word. When she comes back a couple minutes later, she hands me a bottle. "Left Hand? Never heard of it."

"I haven't had it before, either. It's a wheat, so I figured it was safe."

"Yup, thanks." I smile and Annie gives me a wink before meandering off again.

Just as kickoff arrives, Sara wanders in and sits down. She picks a chair off to the side and I'm disappointed she didn't sit next to me. I reason with myself that the couch is already pretty crowded and that there really isn't room for another person. Still, I can't help but wish she was next to me. On the other hand, the chair she chose to sit in is at just the right angle that I can sneak a peek at her without making it obvious that I'm watching her, so I enjoy that opportunity.

By the time the two minute warning for the first half arrives, I've managed to watch Sara without her detection. I find myself watching her more overtly during this commercial break. This time, she glances in my direction and our eyes meet. She smiles and I can feel my cheeks go red. I groan inwardly; I'm like a school girl with a crush. I look away, only to look back a couple seconds later. Sara is still watching me, a smile on her face and a question in her eyes. I'm not sure what that question is, though. I get through the last two minutes of the half, but I can feel Sara's eyes every time she looks over at me.

As soon as halftime hits, I practically leap out of my seat. Knowing Sara's been watching me has me completely on edge and I'm feeling the need to get up and move. It's been a mild day today, so I head to the back door and the patio. It's a little on the chilly side, but I'm surprised no one else seems to be taking advantage of the weather. Just as the thought crosses my mind, I hear the door open and close. I turn to see Annie, bearing another bottle of beer. This one's different than the last. "Didn't like the Left Hand?"

"It's okay. I just like to try different ones when I have the chance. This one's from Great Basin Brewing up in Sparks, so it's pretty local."

"Katie's Cream Ale," I read the bottle. "Sounds interesting." I take a drink and lean against the awning post as I wait for Annie to ask the question so plainly written on her face.

Annie clears her throat. "What's going on between you and Sara? You haven't talked to each other since she took your coat, yet you've both been making eyes at each other. I've only been in there during commercials…I've seen you watching Sara. Steph said she's seen Sara watching you. So what's up?"

"I don't know. Things have been different between us this past week. I don't know why, but Sara brought me coffee every day, and we chatted for a few minutes. It's like she was calling a truce or something. Anyway, she ended up helping Lindsey out with her homework Thursday and Friday. I don't know. It's like a tentative friendship right now, I guess." I watch Annie's expression as I relay my tale. She looks amused. "What's funny?"

"Oh, nothing," she uses a singsong voice. "I'm just not sure you're starting a friendship, that's all."

"Why? That doesn't sound like a friendship to you?" I'm a bit confused by that statement.

"Oh, it could be a friendship, sure. But I know you, Catherine Willows. And I'd know the look in your eye when you look at her anywhere. Stephanie seems to think she's seeing a similar look in Sara's eyes."

"What look?" Annie just stares at me. "Okay fine, I know. But you're not seeing that look from Sara."

"You're right, I'm not. Stephanie is. And she's got no knowledge of the situation at all – she only knows what she's seen today."

"Whatever you say." My tone is skeptical. We stand in silence for a couple minutes before Annie gets up and heads inside. I'm not ready to face Sara again, so I stay outside.

**Sara**

I don't mean to startle her, but my voice seems to. Catherine jumps when I greet her, before recovering herself.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." Catherine looks like she's been in deep thought. "It's a nice evening out," I try to stay neutral as I move closer to her.

"Yeah. I'm surprised there aren't more people out here enjoying the weather," she takes a drink of her beer, and I find myself staring at her mouth.

I clear my throat. "How are you? I haven't really had a chance to talk to you today."

"I'm good. Our boys haven't been playing so hot, have they?"

"Not really, no. I hope they do better in the second half." I brace myself for the real reason I came out to talk to Catherine. "Catherine…"

"Sara…" she starts at the same time I do.

"Go ahead, I can wait," I smile at her, relieved to put it off a bit.

"I should apologize," she pauses.

"Why? What do you have to apologize for?"

"I was a real jerk last month. I shouldn't have ignored you or been so rude to you. It was a defense mechanism. I freaked out about New Year's Eve and I pushed you away. It was nice getting to know you on a level outside of work, and I guess that just scared me, so I pushed you away. Anyway, I'm sorry. I'll try not to let it happen again."

"Um…" I'm at a loss for words. I certainly wasn't expecting an apology. I figure she's had a good reason to be mad at me after I kissed her and told her it didn't mean anything. "You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who owes you an apology." Catherine looks at me, questions in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything. I take that as a cue to continue. "I wasn't completely honest with you about New Year's Eve." I hold my hand up as a signal to Catherine to let me continue. Now that I've started, I need to finish or I'll never get it out. "The truth is I _really _had a good time with you that evening. It was great talking to you and all. The rest of the evening, it was my typical party junk…but the time we talked…I don't know, I felt like…like I was really comfortable. When midnight hit, I was thinking about sending a message to Maggie. I told myself I was going to kiss anyone _but_ her. You were there, and I kissed you, yes. _But_…ugh. I'm not good at this."

"I'm listening. I already said I enjoyed talking with you. You're doing good, I think. Keep talking." Catherine's smile relaxes me and gives me enough courage to continue.

"Okay. I kissed you, and it could have been anyone at that moment. But it wasn't just anyone. It was you. And when I realized it was you, I knew I had to leave. I couldn't handle having you angry at me, and I thought you would be. So I left. The next morning…" I stopped to choose my words. "The next morning, I was afraid that you'd be angry about what happened. So I called you and told you what I thought you'd want to hear. I didn't even think about what I wanted to tell you. Until it was way too late."

"Well…I'm assuming you've thought about since then. What would you like to tell me?" The expression on Catherine's face has shifted from encouraging to tantalizing. I don't know if she knows what the look on her face is doing to me or not, but I know I'm done for.

"Um…I guess…" I struggle to verbalize the thoughts in my head.

"You guess?" She's grinning now and has shifted her body to face me directly. I've been avoiding eye contact in order to maintain my composure, but she waits long enough that I'm forced to look her straight in the eyes. "You've had…38 days to think about it, and you don't know? Gee, Sara, I thought you were more decisive than that." I can hear the slight teasing tone in her voice, but recognize her posture and the tilt of her head as mildly flirtatious. As her body language penetrates my consciousness, I realize that Jenny was probably right – at least to some degree. Catherine is definitely interested. I just don't know to what level. This insight gives me a confidence boost.

"Okay. Well, since I've had 38 days, as you so kindly pointed out. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't apologize for kissing you. I'd apologize for leaving." I pause and amend my statement. "No, I take that back. I wouldn't apologize for leaving. I wouldn't apologize for kissing you. I'd kiss you again."

"Is that so?" Catherine's teasing tone is gone and she takes a step closer to me. I almost back up out of instinct, but my body stops me just in time. Once again, I'm not looking at Catherine's eyes, but instead at her feet.

"Yeah, it is." My voice is barely audible and my mouth is suddenly dry. I'm struck with a fear that she will laugh at me, or turn around and leave, or tell me that I'm crazy or…

My doubts are abolished in a millisecond when I finally look up at Catherine. The look in her eyes is soft and caring. "You want that chance to do it again?" I don't move. I'm having a hard time believing this is real.

"Can you pinch me first?" Catherine just smiles. The next thing I know, her lips are on mine. Her kiss is soft and tender, and full of promise.


End file.
